Just a few stories about Patrick and our New England Journey

 So I realized the other day I have never posted any stories about Patrick.  Patrick is a student I met when I was working at Presby Hall during the construction phase.  He was one of the very first students to sign a lease for the building.   He was 15 when he first called.  Yes that's correct, 15 and about to be a freshman at the UI.  And did I mention he was from Bejing China?  True story.  Can you imagine your parents sending you to a foreign country when you were 15 to go to college? 

Patrick would call our office about once a week the year before school started.  I think part of the reason he called was to begin to make friends in the US.  And I also think he wanted to learn more about the culture.  I found him fascinating.

Patrick comes to the USA

About a month before school started he called to let me know he was coming to school early and wanted to move in the dorm.  However...the dorm would not be finished in time.  His parents proceeded to book him a room in the Red Roof Inn near the mall.  The primary reason for coming early was that China was hosting the Olympics (2008) and air fare was ridiculously expensive.  

I told him to tell his mother a 15 year old, in his first two weeks in America, could not stay in the Red Roof Inn.  So I invited him to stay at my place.  We had a blast.  I made sure all of the task items like getting a phone, registering for class and attending cultural adjustment programs all happened, but I also had the privilege of  learning about his culture and sharing some of "America's finest" with him.  Papa Dels Pizza, Legend's Fish Sandwiches, American Chinese food, and "salad" were all fun explorations.  We became fast friends as a result. School started, he moved into Presby and we touched base periodically during the semester.  I'm pretty sure he joined our family for Thanksgiving and I know he became close friends with my step mom and sisters during his first year.

Patrick tours the USA

After he first year in school Patrick decided to transfer to Northwestern.  NU is on a slightly different calendar than the University of Illinois.  As a result Patrick had to move out of Presby in early August and couldn't get into his new dorm in Evanston until mid September.  One day he calls and asks me if he can store some things at my place and then asked, "what are you doing between Aug 15 and Sept 15. As is happened I was planning to visit my sister in Boston.  Patrick asked if he could come along.  Why not?

We expanded the tour to include the Northeast corridor, adding New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  Off we went.  An hour into the trip Patrick calls his mother.  Two hours, he calls her again.  Hour three, another call.  I ask him what's up with his mom.  He tells me that him mother is paranoid about us driving to Boston.  She fears in the roads are terrible.  I laugh and he explains, in China the roads deteriorate quickly as you leave major cities.  People don't drive across the country, they fly or take the train.  Patrick wants to know how the roads will be all the way to Boston.  When I assure him the road are great throughout America he calls his mother again and says, "this is the last call, American roads are fine." 

Our first stop is in Pennsylvania.  My family is based near Erie PA and I thought it would be fun to visit.  This is Patrick's first "rural" engagement and he totally enjoyed spending time with my cousin's kids, Drew and Brandon.  We walked the back roads, got into the fields and he learned about farming in America. His grandmother lived in rural China so he could totally relate.

My Aunt Peggie prepared a wonderful feast, including a rather large pork tenderloin.  The table was full of fresh veggies and lots of sides.  We stuffed it all down.  Now Peggie is one of America's finest pie bakers and tonight there were two freshly baked pies waiting.  She asks Patrick if he is ready for a slice or two.  He politely says yes.  Then she asked if he wanted ice cream.  We all tell him it's a must.

Peggie brings out the pie, apple I believe, Patrick takes a bite and a huge smile crossed his face..  He says this is the best thing he has ever eaten.  Here is what we didn't know.  In China a pie is often a meat pie.  Patrick thought Peggie was bringing him a meat pie with ice cream.  While he politely agreed to eat it, his stomach was turning over.  He was pleasantly surprised, and by the way, he had a few more slices during our stay.  

Off to Maine

We decided to add on New England to our trip.  We stopped in New Hampshire and hiked in the White Mountain Area.  I decided to take the back roads through New England, leading to the most beautiful drive I have ever taken.  So many small, charming, towns to enjoy.  I particularly loved going through Bartlett New Hampshire as it made me think about my favorite all time tv show, The West Wing.  

We stopped in Bar Harbor, Maine. Acadia is an amazing National Park with stunning views of the ocean.  We hiked through the woods and drove the coastline.  Another day we walked through Bar Harbor.  This town attracts many cruise ships and is filled with little gift shops and nick knack stores.  Of course I love ice cream so we stopped at Ben and Jerry's.  Patrick had only had soft serve ice cream in his life so this was another new experience.  He asked me to order for him and I chose "Cherry Garcia."  His smile grew with every taste.  "This is the most amazing thing ever."   He thought this was just a New England thing.  I told him Ben and Jerry's was in every grocery store and most gas stations in America.  "I love this country!"  

Our last stop in Bar Harbor was to a dock on the south east side of the peninsula.  There was a restaurant serving lobster fresh from the boat.  We picked a big one from a huge tank and a dozen clams as well. The chefs cooked it all in front of us.  We ate this incredible meal on a picnic table at the dock.

Finally Boston

The goal of this trip was to visit my sister in Boston.  I love Boston, the history, the food, the coastline.  It is one of my favorite places in the USA.  We walked the Liberty Trail, ate at a few restaurants downtown and saw the sights.  And of course we visited with my sister and her family.  Patrick was a huge hit with my nephews, no surprise here of course.  

One evening my sister asked if we could leave earlier the next day on our sightseeing trip.  The preschool representatives were coming for a home visit, share time with the family, and check out the surroundings.  On the train to downtown Patrick offers, "Geez what if Kris and family don't do well in the interview?  Will that mean that Arlo, (my nephew) can rule out Harvard?"   We had a great laugh.

Patrick is a special young man.  A have enjoyed learning about the culture and comparing stories.  He graduated from Northwestern with straight A's, spent some time working in Chicago, started his own company, and is now working on his masters at Harvard. 

He promised me a guided tour to China some day.  I'm still waiting.........

 

Traveling through New England

 (So I forgot I wrote a story about my trip to New England for the local paper, here is a reprint)

Vacations aren't exactly my specialty. I take a day or two a year and attend a convention or workshop somewhere in the United States or Mexico. I'm good at attending and participating in travel plans other people make.

Planning my own trips tends to be a little more frantic. Real vacations with no meetings to attend or workshops to facilitate are few and far between.

When I finally commit to stepping back and enjoying life, I tend to overplan, as was the case for my most recent excursion. I planned a 2,700-mile car trip to Owensboro, Ky., via North Conway, N.H., not necessarily the most direct route, but it worked out just fine.

Seasoned vacationers know New England in the fall is a spectacular visual experience. The variety and magnitude of the seasonal changes are overwhelming in their beauty.

However, New England vacations lend themselves to every season of the year. We chose late summer, when it's warm enough to enjoy all of the outdoor activities offered and late enough to enjoy reduced rates and smaller crowds.

North Conway was our destination, and we stayed at the Cranmore Mountain Lodge, 859 Kearsarge Road. The lodge is tucked back into the forest and has basketball and tennis courts, ski slopes, swimming, fishing ponds and picnic areas for guests. Breakfast is included in the rates and features a French chef preparing omelets, pancakes, homemade sausage and French toast. Babe Ruth stayed frequently at the Cranmore, and his pictures adorn the comfortable sitting rooms.

Plan to stay in North Conway several days and stroll the downtown streets lined with more than 200 shops featuring arts, crafts, locally made clothing and even a few old-fashioned general stores. It is easy to spend a day or more enjoying the wares of the local merchants. As an added bonus, there was a local art fair with artists lining the streets the weekend we arrived.

There are more outdoor activities than you can possibly take part in during one vacation. Between the Saco River meandering throughout the North Country and the White Mountains, you can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, hiking, mountain climbing, biking, fishing and camping.

At least 50 well-maintained hiking trails are spread throughout the area, with maps leading you to starting points for each one. Trails range from ½ mile to 7 miles and are challenging and yet manageable by even the most novice climber.

We chose the Arethusa Falls hike in the Crawford Notch State Park, 1.4 miles leading to a 200-foot waterfall. The slope was steep at first and then ascended through open hardwoods and mountain streams.

Many climbers bring picnic lunches, their families and even their dogs on the trip. Arethusa Falls is spectacular and worth every bead of sweat shed.

Another outdoor spectacle is the Swift River's Lower Falls. About 15 minutes from North Conway, Lower Falls features gradual drop-offs of the lower mountain streams. Kids can slide down the falls and swim in the pools at the base. There are plenty of picnic areas nearby with changing rooms and pavilions. The Albany Covered Bridge is just a short ride down the river from the falls.

The focal point of the White Mountains is Mount Washington. The summit of Mount Washington should be experienced by every traveler. You have several choices for reaching the summit – hiking, driving or riding on a train or shuttle bus. Not an easy climb at 6,288 feet, the peak is the highest point on the East Coast.

The brave at heart can drive their cars up the narrow path. You can also ride the Conway Scenic Railroad train to the top or, if you prefer to have someone else do the driving, there are van tours that leave from the lodge every 20 minutes. We took the van and were glad we did! The tour guide explained the history of the area and the mountain.

The summit is cold, more than 40 degrees colder than ground level. Fortunately, there is a cafe and souvenir stand at the top with hot chocolate and long-sleeved shirts.

The highest recorded wind speed in America, 231 mph, occurred at the top of Mount Washington, which is easy to believe as the winds were over 50 mph the day we were there. This is a must-see site with views of the ocean to the east and the Great Lakes to the west. Sunrises are glorious, and sunsets, which we saw, are spectacular.

Todd Salen is a real estate agent from Champaign.

Travels with Nathan

 I know I might have written about Nathan Kelsey before.  I can't remember how long ago I wrote about his stories, and well, I think I'll just tell his story again.

I first met Nathan when we was a pledge in my fraternity.  Idealistic is an understatement.  Nathan is an open minded, trusting soul.  He had an idea he wanted to host a golf outing as a chapter fund raiser.  In my days with Pepsi I had been involved in a large number of golf events so I was pleased he was coming to me for advice.  

Now Nathan was a caddie in high school.  I grew up close to Olympia Fields Country Club, site of the 2004 US Open and many time host of the Western Open, now the BMW Open. Many of my friends either caddied or worked on the grounds keeping crew, so I totally understood it took a special breed of person to caddie.  I mean you need to carry a heavy bag or two for a couple of miles, and constantly listen to old men talk about how good they almost are.   So the fact that Nathan caddied told me he was a man of character.  This is very true. 

Nathan picked my brain for the best course in the area, best practices for a golf outing, and best way to reach and register alums.  He set up a terrific event, raising several thousand for the Steve Acheson Scholarship, a fraternity scholarship near and dear to my heart.  Perhaps the best thing he did was reach out to Jim Acheson and invite him to the event.  This was over 10 years ago and Jim has stayed involved in the chapter largely due to Nathan's invitation. 

Nathan and I became fast friends, brothers and golf partners.  We both love to play and he loves bending my ear with stories.  As you will see, he was a remarkable young man who lives life to the fullest.

Soon after the golf outing our national fraternity had a convention scheduled for New Orleans in the summer of 2006.  Nathan wanted to attend the convention, and I was happy to have him ride along. Naturally we planned to stop to play golf on the way to New Orleans and played a few rounds in the Big Easy as well.

I was director of Philanthropy for the national fraternity at the time and had scheduled a community service project with Habitat for Humanity in their musicians village. The build was the day before the convention, so we needed to get there a day early.  Nathan told me he had never volunteered for a community service project before.  It was about 100 degrees, sun beating down, and here is Nathan working in the framing of the roof on one of the houses.  He met the soon to be owner of the house and had lunch with him.  Nathan's direction in life literally changed that day. 

The convention ended and we were heading home. First we dropped a brother off at the airport and then headed out on the highway destined for Champaign.  Nathan was on fire, so charged with the experience of serving others.  He was talking about 100 miles a minute. About 3 hours into the drive I asked Nathan if the surrounding looked right?  I didn't remember a bridge we were crossing.  He said yes and we continued. Shortly thereafter we saw a sign for Beaumont Texas.  Opps, we went the wrong way.  There are two ways to get to Champaign from Beaumont, drive to Dallas and head north, or return to New Orleans and retrace our path.  We chose the New Orleans route.  Our 11 hour trip turned into 17 hours and we were both a little fried when we arrived.  But...we had an amazing conversation.

When Nathan graduated from college he joined the Peace Corp in Africa.  I was not surprised.

A few years ago Nathan married a beautiful physician.  In the wedding announcement she mentioned she was attracted to Nathan because of his time in the Peace Corp.  I thought, you owe me brother!  If  I hadn't taken you to New Orleans, you would have never planted the seeds for his servant heart, and he would have missed out on the wonderful wife.

We still get together occasionally to play golf. And he lives in one of my favorite cities in America, Boston.